Rock-climbers are furious after the Victorian Labor government announced sweeping bans at a world-famous destination due to a secretive aboriginal cultural heritage investigation.
A new management plan for Mount Arapiles in the state’s west will see up to half of all tracks closed after four years of surveys conducted by Parks Victoria and the Barengi Gadjin Land Council found tens of thousands of artefacts, scarred trees and rock art.
The artefacts are mainly stone chips, scar trees are common in the area, and much of the rock art is not visible to the naked eye, the Herald Sun reported.
But climbers said they and the wider public were never consulted, that a 54-page report provided by an indigenous group “from a rock-climbing perspective” to assist the formalisation of the bans was kept secret, and pointed out that the public consultation on the draft management plan does not allow changes to protected areas.
“Sorry, Parks Victoria, that’s not consultation,” Save Grampians Climbing said in response.
“There are no public community meetings scheduled. It’s like they actually don’t want to hear any feedback? It’s a wipeout folks. The literal beating heart of climbing in Australia has been ripped out and discarded.”
Parks Victoria also said the area contained threatened plants, and announced plans to upgrade visitor facilities “including signage telling the remarkable cultural story of the area”.
The office of Premier Jacinta Allan said on Monday the plan would “provide certainty” for so-called traditional owners, and described the cultural heritage investigation findings as “rediscoveries”.
“It’s important we get the balance right, respect cultural heritage and allow Victorians to continue to visit and enjoy the outdoors in the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape,” Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Natalie Hutchins said.
Lyn Mace, Deputy Chair of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, claimed that the “Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Jupagulk peoples” have lived at Mount Arapiles for tens of thousands of years.
“We share a deep spiritual and cultural connection to this remarkable landscape, which is rich in irreplaceable cultural heritage, artefacts, and creation stories,” she said.
“Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation is encouraged by the Government’s investment in [Mount Arapiles] and its support for the implementation of appropriate cultural heritage and environmental protections for the benefit of all. We look forward to welcoming everyone to experience this culturally significant landscape firsthand.”
The ban comes just days after a group of nationalists climbed iconic tourist destination Mount Warning in New South Wales which has also been declared off-limits due to controversial claims by a local aboriginal group.
Header image credit: Visit Victoria
